Friday, 15 May 2026

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20 words · first 3 free, all 20 with Prime

1 Directive (noun/adjective)

निर्देश / आदेश

Directive meaning

An official instruction, order, or guiding rule.

Synonyms: Instruction, Order, Command, Guideline

Antonyms: Request, Suggestion, Advice, Option

Example: The government issued a directive to improve safety standards in all schools.

2 Narrative (noun/adjective)

वर्णन / कथा

Narrative meaning

A spoken or written account of events; a story or description.

Synonyms: Story, Account, Tale, Description

Antonyms: Silence, Concealment, Fact, Reality

Example: The teacher asked the students to write a narrative about their village life.

3 Backdrop (noun)

पृष्ठभूमि / परिवेश

Backdrop meaning

The background or setting behind an event, scene, or situation.

Synonyms: Background, Setting, Scene, Context

Antonyms: Foreground, Front, Focus, Centerpiece

Example: The mountains formed a beautiful backdrop for the village festival.

4 Headway (noun)

प्रगति / उन्नति

Headway meaning

Progress or forward movement, especially after effort or difficulty.

Synonyms: Progress, Advancement, Improvement, Development

Antonyms: Setback, Regression, Decline, Stagnation

Example: The team made good headway in completing the project before the deadline.

5 Groundwork (noun)

आधारभूत तैयारी / प्रारंभिक कार्य

Groundwork meaning

The basic or preliminary work done to prepare for something.

Synonyms: Foundation, Basis, Preparation, Preliminaries

Antonyms: Completion, Conclusion, Finish, Outcome

Example: The committee laid the groundwork for the successful implementation of the new policy.

6 Downturn (noun)

गिरावट / मंदी

Downturn meaning

A decline or reduction in economic, business, or general activity.

Synonyms: Decline, Slump, Recession, Drop

Antonyms: Upturn, Recovery, Improvement, Boom

Example: The company faced a downturn in sales during the winter season.

7 Drawback (noun)

कमी / नुकसान

Drawback meaning

A disadvantage, problem, or negative point in something.

Synonyms: Disadvantage, Downside, Limitation, Flaw

Antonyms: Advantage, Benefit, Strength, Merit

Example: The main drawback of the plan is that it requires too much money.

8 Standstill (noun)

ठहराव / गतिरोध

Standstill meaning

A situation in which movement, activity, or progress completely stops.

Synonyms: Halt, Stop, Stoppage, Deadlock

Antonyms: Movement, Progress, Activity, Flow

Example: Heavy rain brought the traffic to a complete standstill.

9 Spillover (noun)

फैलाव / अतिप्रवाह

Spillover meaning

The spread of something beyond its original or intended area, limit, or situation.

Synonyms: Overflow, Spread, Leakage, Carryover

Antonyms: Containment, Retention, Restriction, Confinement

Example: The economic crisis had a spillover effect on nearby countries.

10 Shortfall (noun)

कमी / घाटा

Shortfall meaning

A shortage or deficit in the required amount or level.

Synonyms: Deficit, Shortage, Deficiency, Lack

Antonyms: Surplus, Excess, Abundance, Plenty

Example: The project faced a shortfall in funds due to rising costs.

11 Aficionado (noun)

जानकार और उत्साही प्रशंसक

Aficionado meaning

A person who is very interested in and knowledgeable about a particular subject or activity.

Synonyms: Enthusiast, Devotee, Connoisseur, Admirer

Antonyms: Critic, Detractor, Opponent, Novice

Example: He is an aficionado of classical music and attends every major concert in the city.

12 Phalanx (noun)

सघन समूह या सैनिकों की घनी पंक्ति

Phalanx meaning

A closely arranged group of people, soldiers, or things standing together in a compact formation.

Synonyms: Formation, Battalion, Array, Troop

Antonyms: Dispersal, Separation, Scattering, Disorder

Example: The soldiers advanced in a strong phalanx to protect their territory.

13 Systemic (adjective)

पूरे तंत्र या व्यवस्था से संबंधित

Systemic meaning

Relating to or affecting an entire system, organization, or body rather than just one part.

Synonyms: Widespread, Structural, Comprehensive, Pervasive

Antonyms: Local, Isolated, Partial, Individual

Example: The company needs systemic changes to improve its overall work culture.

14 Sommelier (noun)

प्रशिक्षित मदिरा विशेषज्ञ

Sommelier meaning

A trained wine expert who advises people about wine, especially in a restaurant.

Synonyms: Wine Expert, Wine Steward, Wine Waiter, Connoisseur

Antonyms: Novice, Amateur, Layperson, Nonexpert

Example: The sommelier suggested a perfect wine to match the dinner.

15 Gustatory (adjective)

स्वाद-संबंधी

Gustatory meaning

Related to the sense of taste.

Synonyms: Taste-related, Gustative, Palatal, Sensory

Antonyms: Non-gustatory, Auditory, Visual, Olfactory

Example: The chef focused on the gustatory experience of each dish.

16 Auditory (adjective)

श्रवण-संबंधी

Auditory meaning

Related to the sense of hearing.

Synonyms: Hearing, Acoustic, Aural, Sonic

Antonyms: Visual, Silent, Nonauditory, Optical

Example: The teacher used auditory exercises to improve the students’ listening skills.

17 Pantheon (noun)

देवताओं का समूह या अत्यंत सम्मानित प्रसिद्ध व्यक्तियों का समूह

Pantheon meaning

A group of all gods of a particular religion, or a group of highly respected and famous people.

Synonyms: Deities, Divinities, Immortals, Hall of Fame

Antonyms: Mortals, Commoners, Unknowns, Nonentities

Example: Kalidasa holds an important place in the pantheon of great Sanskrit poets.

18 Respondent (noun)

उत्तर देने वाला व्यक्ति

Respondent meaning

A person who replies to something, especially a person who answers questions in a survey or a case.

Synonyms: Answerer, Replier, Defendant, Participant

Antonyms: Questioner, Petitioner, Plaintiff, Interrogator

Example: Each respondent was asked to give honest answers in the survey.

19 Duopoly (noun)

दो कंपनियों के नियंत्रण वाला बाजार

Duopoly meaning

A market situation in which two companies or sellers control most or all of the supply of a product or service.

Synonyms: Dual Monopoly, Two-firm Market, Two-seller Market, Shared Monopoly

Antonyms: Monopoly, Perfect Competition, Competitive Market, Open Market

Example: The telecom sector became a duopoly after only two major companies dominated the market.

20 Parabola (noun)

परवलय

Parabola meaning

A U-shaped curve formed by the path of a point that moves so that its distance from a fixed point is equal to its distance from a fixed line.

Synonyms: Curve, Arc, Trajectory, Conic

Antonyms: Straight Line, Circle, Ellipse, Hyperbola

Example: The path of a thrown ball often forms a parabola.

All 20 words every day, the trick to remember each one, and unlimited tap-to-meaning on every editorial — see what Vocab24 Prime includes →

How the daily vocabulary works

Every word here was picked from the day's newspaper editorials, so you learn the vocabulary that actually appears in SSC, Bank and other exam passages. Each word comes with its Hindi meaning, synonyms, antonyms and an example sentence; Prime members also get a trick to remember it. Read the editorial of the day to see the words in context, then test yourself in the daily English quiz.

Looking for an older day?

Use the date strip above (Older takes you back two weeks at a time), open the words of 7 September 2026 as a page of its own, or browse the vocabulary archive by month since 2016. Every word also has an entry in the English–Hindi dictionary.

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